


The Cherry Tree Fairy

by SakuraBuzzLover87 (Sakura_Buzz_Lover_87)



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Pining, Romance, Some sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24748624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakura_Buzz_Lover_87/pseuds/SakuraBuzzLover87
Summary: Yuki is a young teenager suffering from an incurable disease. While not necessarily happy about his condition, he's come to terms with it. Until that day when he met someone who changed everything.





	1. A New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original work that I created after looking at the prompt "End your story with your character asking a question." I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are always appreciated. <3

The tap runs in the kitchen, a broom swishes on the floorboards, the fragrance of cherry blossoms glides in the air. I imagine the blossoms fluttering in the wind, the delicate pink petals falling softly to the grass below. “Your medicine is ready, Young Master.” Suzuka’s quiet voice shatters the peace as she slides the wooden door open. I hear her footsteps approaching my mattress on the floor and brace my hands behind me, rising marginally until a hacking cough wracks my frame.

“Young Master, please be careful!” A tray clatters next to me. Suzuka’s hands prop me up, rubbing my back soothingly. Another bout of coughing prevents me from speaking. I spit blood into my palm, clasping my mouth as the other hand clutches the blanket. She uses her handkerchief to wipe me clean. I hear her drop two pills into a cup of green tea, its divine aroma wafting into my nose. She presses the cup to my lips. I swallow, the warm tea barely masking the pills’ sour taste. “Thank you, Suzuka,” I croak as I’m gently pushed down to the mattress. “I have done only what is expected, Young Master.” She lightly touches my cheek. “Rest now. Dr. Ryougi will be here in the morning.” She pulls the blankets up, her soft robes brushing past my skin. The door slides closed.

Alone with my thoughts, I allow myself a few minutes of self-pity. Why am I trapped in this weak body with some books and the servants for company instead of flirting with girls like a normal sixteen-year-old boy? Mother died from this illness shortly after I was born, and Father leaves very early in the morning and returns late in the night from his job when I’m already asleep. A quick kiss on my forehead or a squeeze of my hand is the only contact we have these days. His work pays for my medicines, but I miss him.

  
With a sigh, I roll over to face the garden existing beyond the glass wall and recall my childhood. I would sift the grass for insects, showing them to Father. He’d play along with my fantasy scenarios and chase me around the garden, throwing me in the air once he caught me. I used to love sucking on my favorite brand of green tea flavored candies and reading high up in the massive cherry tree’s branches, alone in my private world. “Young Master! It’s too dangerous up there!” the servants wailed. I’d stick my tongue out and ignore their panicked shouts until Father would come out and bellow at me to return. I’m still proud that I fell off only once, barely scathed. Clutching a picture book in my grubby fingers, I frequently napped leaning on the trunk, dreaming of dragons soaring through the sky.

The coughing fits started a few years later. At first, they were one or two times a day, then persisting for a few minutes until one afternoon I collapsed in the kitchen. I woke up hooked to IVs and a doctor sitting at my bedside, his tired, kind eyes meeting my gaze. Father stood next to him with a grim expression. “You have the same rare form of leukemia your mother did,” the doctor tells me. “I recommend you stay here for the time being. I am deeply sorry.” I struggled to accept my life was permanently altered, the sunshine-filled days unwillingly exchanged for solitary ones spent staring at the four walls of a hospital room, the monitors beeping in the background.

Larger and larger black lumps appeared in my vision. The doctor, Dr. Ryougi I later learned, was baffled by this new symptom, its treatment eluding him. I became exhausted from the medicines and tests: a cycle of needle pricks on my arm, pens tapping on clipboards, and bitter pills I was forced to swallow. Oxygen tubes meant to assist with breathing during the coughing fits felt uncomfortable up my nose. Too soon, my sight entirely disappeared. In my dreams I would return to the cherry tree or soar with the dragons, basking in the vivid colors that were cruelly snatched from me.

Father accepted a demanding job to pay for the high hospital costs. He periodically managed to take time off work to visit, his appearances a welcome source of comfort. Dr. Ryougi frequently checked on me, teaching me Braille a few minutes daily between shifts and handing me books to read. I told him offhandedly once I was craving green tea. He started giving me candies he “happened to find in the nurses’ lounge” of the same brand I ate as a child. His devotion made me love him like a second father regardless if his kindness stemmed from sympathy or pity. When my illness progressed to the final stage, he granted my wish to go home as he felt I had suffered enough. He agreed to do house calls to personally treat my weak constitution.

I shake my head to disperse the memories and the strong urge to sleep overtakes me.

I’m lying on the grass in the garden. I recognize its softness immediately, comforting despite the pebbles poking my back. I gradually sit up, rubbing at the sleep lingering in my eyes before jolting awake. I’m outside, I can see my hands, and I haven’t coughed yet. I stare straight ahead and see my body lying on the floor in my room, confirming what I was dreading: I’m officially dead. I groan, holding my head in my hands.

I hear tinkling laughter above me. I look up and see a young girl atop a tree branch, her unusual purple hair decorated with flower petals.


	2. Aiya

I can barely distinguish her features from the moon’s light filters through the branches. Puzzled, I wave at her. 

The girl lands in front of me with a thump, the branches rustling as they shift back into place. She stands smirking, arms crossed. I’m convinced I’m in heaven as my wildest dreams couldn’t have conjured up someone who surpasses the cherry tree’s beauty this effortlessly. An immaculate dress the same pink color as the blossoms covers her petite frame, hanging just below her knees. She looks roughly the same age as me. “Took you long enough to wake up. What’s the matter?” her melodious voice asks. “Cat got your tongue?” She stoops over, bringing her lovely face close to mine. 

I focus on a suddenly very interesting stick on the ground, away from her riveting violet eyes. I clear my throat and stammer, “N-Nothing. It’s n-nice to meet you.” I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a girl my age, let alone one this alluring. I hope the ground swallows me whole before I inevitably embarrass myself further. 

She straightens, her smirk transforming into a genuine smile. “Likewise. I’m Aiya, the guardian fairy of this cherry tree.” She holds her hand out. I take it cautiously, but once I’m standing, immediately let go and brush grass off my robe. “Did you have a nice nap, Yuki? The last time you slept under my tree was agesss ago,” Aiya snickers. I notice I’m a few inches taller than her. A red ribbon is braided into a strand of her lavender hair, the rest falling past her shoulders. “H-how do you know my name? You know I used to sleep here? Why is my body over there?” I point to my room, my finger quivering. “Am I dead, Aiya?” Aiya stiffens, her hand picking at a seam of her dress. I probably shouldn’t have asked so many questions at once. She stops, smoothing the bunched edge. “You always were quick on the uptake. It’s a bit of a long story— why don’t we go somewhere else?” 

I gape at her, forgetting about my nerves. “Where would we go? I’m supposed to be in bed and I’m not sure why I’m not coughing yet.” Her eyes twinkle mischievously. “Have faith. Follow me!” 

I’m still skeptical but I follow her out the garden into the hallway. We start running once the wood touches our feet. No one stops us, so I guess we must be invisible to normal people. 

Once we’re out the door, I slow down to observe the scene before me, eyes widening in wonder. Brown houses identical to mine line the road, the convenience store on the corner has the familiar wind chime jingling at the door, the bicycle bells trill as kids race each other even this late. Aiya realizes I’m not following and jogs back to me. “I never thought I’d see this again,” I murmur.

“I’m glad you’re happy, but we gotta keep going!” She lightly pushes my back and starts sprinting. Wondering why she’s in such a rush, I chase after her. I can’t remember the last time I ran this fast. 

Right before we round the corner, I briefly glimpse my reflection in the convenience store’s window. My skin is full of color and my black eyes lack dark circles hollowed beneath them. A healthy boy is staring back at me, not my pale skeleton buried under blankets. “Aiya,” I call out. “Why am I not sick?” 

“I’ll explain everything, okay? Come on, come on!” she whines, running faster. “If you say so,” I mutter, appreciating that she’s out of hearing range. 

We reach a playground shortly. It’s unsurprisingly empty. Aiya stops in the middle of the road and points to the swings illuminated by the streetlamp. “I want to play here, Yuki!” 

“Go on ahead, Aiya. I’ll be there in a minute,” I gasp, hands on my knees, thankful she finally picked a place. I’m amazed she doesn’t look tired at all from her incredible speed. She heads to the swings. Once I can breathe, I walk to a swing by hers and sit. Aiya’s confidently zipping through the air, breaking into peals of laughter with her hair floating behind her. It’s one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen. I watch her for a few minutes before deciding to speak up. “Aiya,” I say hopefully loud enough. “Can we please finish our conversation from earlier?” 

Aiya lets her swing come to a stop. She crosses her legs and turns towards me. “Yes, Yuki,” her volume matching mine. “I’ll answer your questions.” 

She breathes deeply and begins. “Ten years ago, you came to the house with your dad. You pointed at the house, jumping as you tugged on his shirt, saying, ‘Is this really mine, Papa? All of it?’ He laughed and mussed your hair up a little.” She mimics the motion. I vaguely recall looking up at my father in delight, then back at the house. “I was watching from the rooftop—being a cherry tree fairy is boring when no one’s been around for a while. I waved at you aware you wouldn’t see me.” Her dainty fingers clasp the swing rails tighter. 

Her voice brightens. “I’ve been in that tree for the past 50 years and you were the most energetic person I’ve ever seen. I would watch you play with your dad, sit by you when you read, nudge bugs closer to your fingers. I was happiest when you napped in the shade of my tree.” She closes her eyes, smiling to herself. 

Aiya slowly reopens them and gazes up at the moon hanging low in the sky. “I’ve never felt so helpless as when I saw you fall more and more ill. Not even magical remedies seemed strong enough to heal you. I thought I’d lost you the day you collapsed in the kitchen, Yuki.” Her voice breaks with tears as she lets go of the swing rails, wringing her hands in her lap. 

I get off my swing and kneel in front of her. “Aiya, we can continue another time if it’s too difficult.” I start moving my hand to wipe away her tears but pull back as I don’t want to be too forward. “No, I promised I’d tell you everything. Now move. My butt hurts,” she says bossily, sniffing and flicking her hair over her shoulder. 

I stand, backing up to let her hop off the swing. She dusts her dress and I follow her to a nearby bench. We sit facing each other. “My loneliness was unbearable after you left for the hospital. I missed my small bundle of sunshine—you made everyone around you so happy. I was so relieved when you finally returned home where you belonged, but you were no longer the lively little boy I knew. You’re taller than me now but you’re too thin and coughing like that looks extremely painful.” She bites her lip. 

She shakes her head when I open my mouth to speak. “I’m almost done, I promise. I’m impressed with how well you’ve adapted—it took me some time to realize you’re blind. I recalled a legend from long ago—the astral projection of a human soul. It works best if the human is blind and allows them to see fairies. When I saw you close your eyes tonight to sleep, I attempted the projection for the first time.” Her eyes stare distantly over my shoulder and she seems lost in her thoughts. 

Anya’s voice has enough sincerity that I decide to believe the stranger elements of her tale. “‘Astral soul projection’ sounds complicated. How does it work?” I ask curiously, miming quotation marks around the phrase.

The movement draws her attention. “I touch your mind to project your soul out into the real world. After I’ve absorbed the sunlight during the day, my magic is strong enough to restore your soul to peak physical condition. When we’re in direct contact or at least in very close proximity, you can handle solid objects or pass through them at will. Once the sun comes up, though, my magic runs out. Your body will sleep in a permanent coma if your soul is not returned by then,” she warns, shaking a finger.

I lean back on the bench, trying to understand her explanation. She pauses until I’m ready to resume the discussion, nodding in her direction. “The important part, Yuki, is you can’t tell anyone I exist,” she pleads, her eyes begging. “If I’m discovered, humans will inevitably capture me. It won’t end well.” I nod fervently, my heart clenching at the thought of her in chains. She bows her head. 

“I see,” I say quietly. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. It’s not like anyone would believe the rambling of a dying boy.” She lets out a relieved sigh. I ask her one more question. “What happens to my body when I’m astrally projected?” 

“That’s another reason I waited for night. Your body is essentially in hibernation until your soul re-enters it. If you’re supposed to be asleep anyway, we risk a much lower chance of anyone noticing your soul is missing. You humans easily accept surreal notions but focus on the most absurd details.” Aiya flicks my forehead and jumps off the bench. “That’s enough for today. Let’s head back.” I grumble and rub where she flicked before standing up. 

“Thank you for telling me everything, Aiya. I feel like I finally understand,” I say as we walk back the way we came. Aiya gives me a tender smile. “I’m glad, Yuki.” 

We continue in silence as the sky lightens with the promise of the coming sun. She leads me back to my room, sitting at the foot of my bed. I settle next to her. “Will you come back?” I whisper, not wanting to attract the servants’ attention. “Of course, Yuki. Tomorrow night. I swear to you.” She whips her head toward me with a determined set to her jaw, eyes blazing. I shiver in a way that has nothing to do with the cold chill in the room. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Aiya.” She briefly rests her hand on my shoulder and heads towards her tree.


	3. Honesty

I open my eyes to blackness and am lying on the floor again. The door slides open and I hear a heavier set of footsteps than normal—the doctor must be here. “Hello, Yuki. How have you been?” Dr. Ryougi’s deep voice questions. I somehow manage to sit up. “Not that well, doc. My body feels really weak—I don’t think the drugs are helping,” I wheeze out between coughing fits. “Keep taking your medicine and hang in there, Yuki. You’re doing a great job,” he praises as he rubs my back.

I nod in response, slightly uplifted. His stethoscope is cold on my chest as he listens to my heart and lungs, and I take deep breaths when he asks me to. With a needle prick and a click of his pen, he says, “All done, Yuki. Excellent work today. I’m leaving another book I found and some candies by your bed. Get some rest and I’ll see you soon.” He gently helps me lay back down.

A voice interrupts him from completely sliding the door shut. “How is the Young Master, Doctor?” Suzuka whispers in the hallway. “The Master is very worried about him.” Dr. Ryougi’s low voice has a tinge of grief he managed to keep hidden from me. “Yuki’s disease is taking the course I predicted. I will run a few more tests at the lab to confirm. His heart is failing and the highest dose of the meds he has will give him about another month.” I don’t hear anything else he says. One month? Only one more month? I know I’m running on borrowing time, but I still nourished a small hope that one day I would miraculously recover and spend more time with Father and Aiya. My hope squashed with a few words, I let the tears fall from my eyes, muffling my sobs to avoid alerting Suzuka and Dr. Ryougi I overheard the conversation. Sleep’s warm embrace envelops me, and I don’t hear Dr. Ryougi exiting the house.

Father learns about my declining health and quits his job, saying he’d rather spend time together now and worry about money later. Rarely leaving my room, he brings me tea and reads to me, sleeping in the mattress across my bed every night. I wish it were under better circumstances but having him around the house again feels pleasantly nostalgic.

I’m lying on the grass again. This time, I immediately stand and turn around, waving once I find Aiya in the branches. She hops off. “It’s good to see you, Aiya. Not like I had much choice in the matter, though,” I add cheekily. She pokes my cheek. “Hmph. You were the one who asked me yesterday if I was coming back.” She storms away. “I’m kidding, sheesh. Will you please forgive me?” I playfully beg once I catch up to her. She grins at me. “Only if you give me a piggyback ride to a bookstore.” 

“A piggyback ride? To a bookstore?” I’m pretty sure the nearest one is three streets away. “I think the shop is closed by now…”

“We’ll float through the door, silly!” I know I’ve lost. I crouch and let her put her legs around my waist, ensuring her arms grip my neck firmly before standing back up. She’s light but I can’t resist teasing her. “You’re heavier than I expected. What do cherry tree fairies even eat?”

She tightens her arms. “Shut up and start walking, Yuki, or I’ll make sure you wish you never asked that question.” I comply, confident she can’t see my broad grin. 

We establish a routine. I’d lie in bed remembering the previous night’s events with Aiya and sleep as much as possible, knowing I’d be up all night. When I woke up underneath the tree, we’d wander the streets to explore a new place or simply talk. She told me about her past as a cherry tree fairy, her opinions of the previous owners of the house, her friends who came to visit occasionally. They were shocked by her blind faith in me, a human. Once I promised to keep their existence a secret, they grudgingly accepted me and treated me with the same warmth.

I fall in love with Aiya, blushing every time I see her. Her feisty nature, childlike antics, and sparkling eyes captivate me for hours. One night when Suzuka comes with my daily medicine, she asks me, “Young Master, why are you so happy these days?” I scramble to find an answer. “W-what makes you say that?”

“Young Master, I know you very well. You mean as much to me as if you were my real son. You smile more and I have heard you humming.” I hope it’s too dark for Suzuka to see my blush. “I think of you as a mother too, Suzuka. I guess I’m just in a better mood because it’s spring,” I say quickly. My excuse sounds flimsy to my own ears. “I have a question for you if you don’t mind.”

“You can ask me anything, Young Master.”

“If you loved a girl but you knew you wouldn’t be around for much longer, would you tell her how you feel?” Suzuka takes a second before responding. “Has someone caught the Young Master’s eye?”

I know Suzuka will keep Aiya’s secret if I ask her to. I think about telling her, but I’ve made a promise to Aiya. I can never forgive myself if she’s captured because of me. “The main character in a book Dr. Ryougi gave me was in that situation. I started wondering what I would do. Isn’t it better to not confess and keep your feelings from burdening her?”

Suzuka strokes my hair. “Young Master, if I may, I would suggest confessing. One of the bravest things in this world is expressing your feelings to the object of your affection, praying they are returned. I do not think they would be a burden at all even if they are unrequited. The amount of time together is irrelevant. If you both are happy, is that not what truly matters?” This is the most I’ve ever heard Suzuka say, but her words inspire me. I want to act like a normal teenage boy in love for once and tell Aiya how I feel. I thank Suzuka and reach up to squeeze her hand.

Aiya and I spend more time together. I keep waiting for the right moment to confess, but the timing never seems right. True to Dr. Ryougi’s words, my physical condition worsens. I’m too weak to even go to the bathroom by myself. I’m taking more pills, and my coughing spells are stretching longer. I ask Dr. Ryougi why I’m deteriorating this rapidly and he tells me about my impending death as gently as he can. Hearing it from him directly means there is no chance I misheard earlier.

One night, Aiya and I sit together under the cherry tree, my head in her lap. She’s humming as she strokes my hair. She stops abruptly and I look up at her. “Yuki, I can see the aura of death lingering around your form. I strongly suspect you’re not going to make it past tomorrow.” She drops her hand to the ground.

I lift my head. The month passed much faster than I had expected, but I need to confess now before I lose my nerve. “It’s okay, Aiya. I’ve had the happiness of a thousand lifetimes with you, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You gave this sick, lonely child the freedom and happiness he had long given up on. Thank you.” I take a deep breath to steady myself. “You’ll always be in my heart. I love you.”

Aiya’s eyes narrow as she presses her mouth in a thin line and turns toward me. “You _bastard_ ,” she sneers.

My mouth hangs open. “Excuse me?” I try to keep my voice composed, my heart crashing in my chest.

“I waited SO LONG to hear those words, and you only tell me _now_?!” she shrieks, her voice rising several octaves. “I love you too, you FOOL!”

She starts bawling hysterically and pounds my chest with her tiny fists. I sit there stunned before her words sink in and fail to suppress my giggles. She looks up, tears streaming from her eyes and sniffles. “What’s so funny, huh?” I take her fists into my hands and lower them to my waist. “You’re prettier when you’re not crying, sweetheart,” I murmur before my lips meet hers. They’re softer than a butterfly’s wings. 


	4. Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading if you've made it this far! Feel free to drop a comment below how you liked the story :)

Father is weeping at my side, holding my hand. Dr. Ryougi’s rough hand is grasping the other one, also silently crying. I barely have enough strength to keep breathing, my heart monitor beeping slower every passing second. I can hear muted sobs and the rustling of fabric, likely from the servants. I squeeze both hands to signal I’m okay. However short my life was, it wasn’t in vain. I’m surrounded by people who care deeply for me and I’ve met the love of my life.

I let out my final breath and give myself to the darkness as the monitor flatlines. 

EPILOGUE

I squint as I shield my eyes from the blinding sunlight. My back is on the tree trunk, the grass tickling my legs. Once my eyes are fully open, I turn towards my room. My framed picture is on the wall, incense burning next to the flowers on the floor. My bed has been removed. This time, I’m positive I’m dead.

I look down to see I’m wearing a light blue tunic with brown pants instead of my normal tan robe, pointed shoes on my feet. I sense an unusual weight on my back. I reach my hand around and touch paper-thin material with…tips? I crane my neck back and see two glossy green wings. “Is this a costume?” I sputter, one hand clutching my tunic and the other grabbing at my wings.

“Your reaction is way better than I expected, Yuki, and you haven’t noticed your ears yet,” Aiya’s voice chimes from behind me. “Ta-dah!! I did it!!”

“Did what?” Aiya’s face pops into view, the rest of her body following. I’m extremely confused that I’m alive yet…different. I stroke my _pointed_ ears. Aiya beams at me. “I convinced the Fairy King to reincarnate you as a fairy! You died young with a good heart, and I wanted you to have a chance at a second life.” 

I stare at her in disbelief. “You talked to the Fairy King, I died, and now I’m a fairy.”

“Yup!”

“Do _you_ have wings?”

Light purple wings unfurl from her back. “I didn’t show them to you earlier ‘cos I prefer walking around together than me carrying you through the sky.”

“They’re very pretty. Wait, when did you go see the Fairy King?”

“Hmm…” Aiya taps her finger on her chin and tilts her head. “Over a month ago?” She sheepishly shifts her weight to one leg, her hand curling behind her neck. “I asked him for a way to help you. The “astral mind projection” legend was his idea. He wanted to investigate you himself. He started trusting you once he saw you kept our existence secret even from Suzuka—he’s always been wary of humans. My friends vouched for you as well.”

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

“It was really hard for me not to, Yuki. The only reason I didn’t is to avoid disappointing you if it didn’t work out. The Fairy King has been known to double-cross people before. Looks like I owe him a favor now. Yuki, I want to confirm something. Do you still want to be together even if you’re no longer a human?” Her voice trails off and she glances down shyly, rubbing her toe into the ground.

I rise and stride towards her, bending to her eye level and push her chin up. “Do you even have to ask?” 


End file.
